Parents wondering where their summer camp payments went

Some reported paying $1,500 tuition, but musical theater program closing, with no mention of refunds

May 27, 2012|By Heather Gillers, Chicago Tribune reporter

Timothy Kiernan

For seven years, Chicago youths have honed their musical theater skills in programs run by the Entertainment Project. That tradition came to an abrupt end this month when the program's director, Timothy Kiernan, cut off contact with students, parents and staff — leaving families in the dark about what would happen to the thousands of dollars the program had collected for summer camp.

"We had an organization that we entrusted our children with," said Jennifer Froede, the mother of a 12-year-old girl who has attended the Entertainment Project for five of the last six summers. "This one really bothers me. The money is a hardship because I don't know if I'm going to ever get it back. But I let (Kiernan) take care of my child. This hurts."

The Chicago Police Department is investigating what happened after complaints from people who had paid tuition.

An email to parents early Saturday morning that was signed with Kiernan's name said the Entertainment Project is closing its doors "due to economic reasons." The email provided contact information — a Chicago-area phone number and a mailing address in Libertyville, Iowa — but made no mention of refunds. The Entertainment Project has had trouble paying salaries and rent for rehearsal spaces, past employees and landlords said. Until this month, however, the program appeared to parents to be running smoothly.

Students in the spring program were rehearsing at Gordon Tech College Prep for June performances of "Rent" and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." A weekly after-school Entertainment Project program held at Hatch Elementary in Oak Park was also working on a show.

On May 9, Kiernan taught in the workshop at Hatch as usual, said Dana Armstrong, the Entertainment Project's director of education for six years. It was the last time she saw him.

The following day, Kiernan didn't show up for a scheduled voice-coaching session at Gordon Tech with about five students, leaving the children without adult supervision, Armstrong said. Next, parents got a series of emails, one signed with Kiernan's name, canceling two upcoming sessions. On May 18, in another email signed with Kiernan's name, his bewildered staffers were asked to turn in their keys to the program's rented space at Gordon Tech College Prep, pick up their pay and remove personal items.

The Tribune's attempts to reach Kiernan by phone were unsuccessful. Outside an East Ukrainian Village apartment, the Tribune found a man who looked like Kiernan wearing a T-shirt with the words "entertainment project" on it. The man said he wasn't Kiernan.

Asked about the camp tuition payments, the man said: "The company's gone bankrupt."

It's not clear exactly how much money is missing, but several parents reported paying about $1,500 per child for the summer. Armstrong said she knew of about 50 campers who were signed up for the summer session. In the spring program, she said, about 40 children were midway through rehearsals for June performances.

Lexi Padbury, 16, who was looking forward to playing Joanne in a June performance of "Rent," said she is sorry that younger students won't get the experience she had.

"I kind of wanted to go out with a bang," Padbury said. "But it's not just me that I'm worried about. It's all these little kids who have spent their entire lives there and have all of their friends there, or are just starting this summer and really haven't come out of their shells yet."

Armstrong and other staffers for Kiernan's program announced Friday that they have put together a modified summer theater program in partnership with Gordon Tech College Prep.

Interviews suggested that Kiernan's financial problems date back several years. Carla Miller of St. Benedict Parish & Schools, where the Entertainment Project rented space from 2006 to 2008, said Kiernan left owing St. Benedict High School a total of $16,887. Danielle Desire, who said she served as the Entertainment Project's business manager for about three years, said that in 2008, Kiernan often failed to pay staffers in full and on time.

Armstrong and Director of Dance Alia Simon said that since the beginning of this year, their weekly pay often was less than their agreed-upon salaries. Mansie O'Leary, who said she had worked as a costume designer and voice coach for the program, said she quit in March after going three weeks without pay.

According to the Entertainment Project website, which was not accessible Saturday morning, Kiernan came to Illinois from Miami, where he also ran a youth theater program.

Janet Brandon, who said she paid $1,500 for her 10-year-old daughter to attend summer camp, said she filed a police report in an effort to protect other parents.

"He doesn't need to be doing this anyplace else," she said, "going someplace else and setting up camp."